Wear two colors on April 8 for the best experience

Fashion beauty

by Reza Weigel

The cosmic event of the decade is upon us.

On Monday, a large area of ​​the United States will fall into the path of totality during a total solar eclipse. While you may have a destination in mind and your glasses on deck, have you thought about what colors to wear on the day?

Experts in sunglasses We've kindly shared the lowdown on choosing outerwear for anyone planning to watch the solar eclipse in groups or in public.

According to the company, wearing certain colors can enhance the effect of the celestial phenomenon, so read on to find out what you should wear while gazing at the sky.

What colors enhance the eclipse experience?

First, a little science from the folks at Solar Eyeglasses.

“In natural daylight, our eyes use the cone cells of the retina to see colors clearly,” the company says. “These cells function best under bright light conditions (this is called photopic vision).” “But when it gets darker, as it does during an eclipse, our eyes switch to 'rod cells,' which are better for low-light conditions (scope vision).”

The period four to five minutes before totality is known as the mesoscale viewing zone, a liminal space where it is neither bright nor dark and the surroundings are devoid of color.

“Light levels in this area drop enough that the cone cells in our eyes receive less stimulation,” says Solar Eyeglasses. “This results in a decrease in the vibrancy or saturation of the colors we see when you capture the gray of the surroundings.”

Red and green rock

Experts suggest wearing shades of red and green to ensure a visual appearance with low light and saturation.

Dr. Nicole Bajek, an ophthalmologist at the Cleveland Clinicstates, “With low photon energy, our cones cannot function as well.”

“Red can appear darker or even black, and blue and green can actually appear,” she said. “You'll see a weird shift where these colors can appear because the cells are very sensitive and there's not a lot of energy but not enough for red, so you'll see this interesting contrast between red and green.”

Accordingly, neutral colors (black, white, gray, or brown) are prohibited on the day of the eclipse. These tones will blend into the shadow of the eclipse and prevent the wearer and observers from making the most of the moment.

Sartorial science

the Clothing suggestion is supported by Dr. Gordon TellboneVeteran eclipse chaser, NASA teacher And creator of the Solar Eclipse Timer app.

Telepun describes the mesoponic zone as a chrome dream zone, saying: “A lot of people will talk about it as wearing very light gray sunglasses, where everything in your surroundings is a metallic silver color.”

“When I compared my images from the 2017 eclipse, which was an August eclipse in Tennessee on a green field with people wearing summer clothes, I realized you needed a color target to see this effect,” he added.

Telepin points to the Purkinje effect, the natural phenomenon of how we perceive colors in low light, named after the Czech physiologist who first documented it.

Spokesman sunglasses He adds that the Purkinje effect increases during eclipses but also occurs in a more routine situation.

“This isn't just an eclipse thing. It's similar to how we observe garden flowers in the evening. The red gets darker, almost black, while the blue and green get brighter,” they explained.

So go ahead and make yourself a garden at dusk, and wear red or green clothes. Not only will this choice enhance your lifetime experience of the eclipse, it will give your photos an eye-catching power. Here to show up, dress up and look.

Astrologer Reza Weigel Researches and provides irreverent reports on planetary configurations and their influence on each zodiac sign. Its horoscopes integrate history, poetry, popular culture, and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, and has extensively chronicled her travel experiences. Among the many interesting topics she covers are cemetery etiquette, her love of dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girl's guide” to strip clubs, and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.